Third Sunday of Easter
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
SUNDAY, May 1st Jn. 21: 1-19 Alleluia Verse: “Christ is risen, who made all things; he has shown mercy on all people.”
“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’”
Jesus will ask Peter this question two more times—in reparation for the three times Peter denied knowing Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest.
Jesus asks us the same question: “Do you love me?” Love is shown in deeds not words. For this very reason, Jesus left us the great Sacrament of Mercy that we call Confession. It is our invitation to show Jesus how much we love Him by confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness through the Alter Christus—“other Christ”—the duly ordained Priest.
And when we have confessed, Jesus says to us, as He said to Simon Peter: “Feed my lambs”… “Feed my Sheep” … for we are all called to work in the vineyard with Christ to save many souls by bringing them to His healing mercy!
CONFESSION AND GOD’S HEALING MERCY by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
One of the greatest gifts that our merciful Savior gave to the world was the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus came to the Apostles, then breathed the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive shall be forgiven; whose sins you retain shall be retained.” (Jn 20:21-23)
In this moment, with these words and the breathing forth of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of His Infinite Mercy, that we call the Sacrament of Confession, Penance, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness.
In this brief essay, we would like to encourage all to have great trust in Jesus’ mercy and approach with trust, confidence, humility and faith the Sacrament of Confession. We will offer ten short encouraging words and suggestions to help us receive this great Sacrament.
Trust in God’s Infinite Mercy
Jesus complained to Saint Faustina saying that the greatest sin that wounds His Sacred Heart most is the lack of trust in His infinite mercy. Jesus said that if a sinner had as many sins as the grains of sand on the seashore, if he were to simply trust in Jesus’ mercy, it would be enough to engulf and swallow all his sins in the ocean of Jesus’ infinite mercy. Saint Paul reminds us: “Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.” (Rom 5:20) Indeed, the greatest sinners can become the greatest saints if they simply trust unreservedly in God’s mercy. Examples abound: Mary Magdalene, the Good thief, Saint Augustine, Saint Margaret of Cortona, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Camillus de Lelis, Saint Mary of Egypt, and many more.
Preparation
Prepare yourself well for the reception of the Sacrament. In fact, Sacramental Theology enunciates this important principle: one receives graces in proportion to the disposition of their heart and their prior preparation before receiving the Sacrament. Therefore, have a good Examination of Conscience booklet at hand. Give yourself time to prepare to encounter your loving and merciful Savior. Do your examination in silence so that you can meet your merciful Savior in your soul-searching. Write down your sins on a sheet of paper so that when you go to the priest, who represents Christ, you will not draw a blank due to nervousness. Usually, the better the preparation, the better the results—as is the case in any practice!
Personal Encounter with Christ
Strive to understand that our religion is fundamentally a personal relationship and friendship with Jesus. Indeed, Jesus is the friend who will never fail us. If we can understand that the essence of sin is hurting the One who loves us, the One who desires a deep friendship with us, the One who died on the cross for us, it will be much easier to avoid sin in the future. At the Last Supper, Jesus called the Apostles His friends; now we are the friends of Jesus. Sin is not so much breaking a rule, but breaking the loving Heart of Jesus, our best and truest friend!
Appreciate the Sacrament, the Graces, and the Opportunities
A constant danger for practicing Catholics is to take the Sacraments for granted. As in a marriage where it is always possible to take one’s spouse for granted, we can take Jesus and His Sacraments for granted. Our attitude should be such that every time we receive the Eucharist, as well as Confession, we receive it as if it were our last time and we were going to be judged on the way we received it! Confirming this is the sign in some sacristies that reminds the priest: “Say the Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, and your only Mass”! May we strive to receive Confession as if it were our first, our last, and our only Confession, every time we approach this great Sacrament of God’s Mercy!
Firm Purpose of Amendment
There are five steps in making a good confession:
1. Examination of Conscience. 2. Sorrow for sin. 3. Firm Purpose of Amendment. 4. Confession of sins to the priest. 5. Carry out the penance given by the priest.
Regarding the third step, in many penitents this step should be improved. By this we mean that to confess well there must be a firm commitment on our part to avoid any person, place, thing or circumstance that could lead us into the snares of sin. This demands self-examination, self-knowledge, humility, and fortitude. This also demands a rewinding of the film of our life to see where, why, when, how, and sometimes with whom we fell into sin. There are many sayings that confirm this: “He who does not know history is condemned to repeat the same errors.” Socrates stated: “A life not examined is a life not worth living.”
A key proverb of the Desert Fathers says it in two succinct words: Know thyself! If you like, use this image from Superman: we have to know our own Kryptonite—that is our weak point. Or our own Achilles heel!
Pray for the Priest Confessor
On one occasion, Saint Faustina left the confessional and felt intranquil, lacking the peace that she usually experienced after making her Sacramental Confession. Jesus appeared to her and told her the reason for this lack of peace was because she did not pray for the priest confessor before entering the confessional. A short prayer for the priest confessor—a Hail Mary, or a prayer to the Holy Spirit, or a prayer to the priest’s Guardian angel—can dramatically improve one’s confession. Try it!
Qualities of a Good Confession
In Saint Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Jesus highlights three indispensable conditions for a good confession. They are: transparency, humility and obedience. When we confess to the priest, who really represents Jesus the Divine Physician, we should be as clear and transparent as possible. Next, we should never try to justify, rationalize or blame others for our sins, meaning we should be humble. Finally, we should obey whatever advice or counsel the priest gives us recognizing that the priest acts in the person of Christ.
Confess Frequently
It is of capital importance in the spiritual life to receive the sacraments well but also with great frequency. The Church allows, as well as encourages, frequent Confessions as a most efficacious means to grow in holiness. Once a month is good; every two weeks is better. Some even find it beneficial to confess once a week. One is obliged to confess mortal sins giving their number and species (kind). However, the saints and Popes strongly encourage us to confess even venial sins, called a “Confession of devotion” or “Devotional Confession”, as a means of growing in grace and holiness. Going one step further, one can also confess past mortal sins previously confessed and forgiven, with renewed sorrow, as a Devotional Confession. Why do this? All too often sins, especially serious sins, leave a deeply ingrained habit or stain in our soul that draws us to commit these sins again. Confession of past sins already forgiven, especially the sins that we are most attracted to, serves to gradually expunge and eliminate the draw and stain of those sins! A stern warning: we must at all costs avoid making mechanical, routine or perfunctory confessions—meaning to confess sins without any firm purpose to amend our ways, for as pointed out above, firm purpose of amendment is one of the requirements of a good confession. That said, if we confess well and often, over time we will sin less seriously and less frequently by God’s grace and our good will.
Clarify Doubts
If it is such that there is some confusion, doubt or uncertainty about a moral matter or personal behavior that is bothering you, then you should be humble and forthright in asking a good confessor to clarify the doubt as soon as possible. In other words, moral theology teaches us that we should never act on a doubtful conscience. On the contrary, we should clarify the moral matter with our confessor before taking any action. Having a well-formed conscience, having a pure and clear conscience, and having interior peace of soul are the greatest gifts that one can experience this side of heaven!
Thanksgiving
After you have completed your confession, make sure that you thank the Lord abundantly for His infinite mercy, for His kindness, for His compassion, for the great gift of the Sacrament of Confession. The Lord rejoices in the hearts of those generous souls who render Him constant thanksgiving. May the prayer of the Psalmist be our prayer: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever.” (Ps 136:1)
